


Let Us Love You

by Natsumiya_Teirin



Category: Natsume Yuujinchou | Natsume's Book of Friends
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Child Neglect, Declarations Of Love, Dorks in Love, F/F, F/M, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Multi, Natsume Takashi Protection Squad, Natsume Takashi's Terrible Childhood, everyone loves natsume
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-10
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2019-11-14 19:16:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18058442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Natsumiya_Teirin/pseuds/Natsumiya_Teirin
Summary: And after everything was said and done, Natsume found himself surrounded by people who, for reasons he couldn't understand, loved him unconditionally.And it was terrifying.





	1. We'll Be Okay

**Author's Note:**

  * For [taizi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/taizi/gifts).



> Gift to taizi. Just because.(^_^)

They're running along a dirt path, pursued by Matoba's Shiki. Sensei tears through them effortlessly, but there are just  _so many_ and even a youkai like him has his limits. 

"Sensei- fly, and I'll summon Misuzu!" 

With an affirmative growl, the great cat grabs Natsume between his teeth and tosses him backwards so the boy is clinging to his fur. He takes off with the Shiki nipping at his hind paws and feels the charge in the air as Natsume pulls the Book of Friends from his bag. 

"You who would protect me, come forth!" 

Static crackles at the end of Madara's whiskers and he forces himself to go faster, avoiding the Shiki as they try to wrap around his legs. Natsume calls out a name. 

"Misuzu!" 

And he appears in midflight. 

Misuzu doesn't even need to ask Natsume for orders, and doesn't waste a moment tearing the Matoba Shiki apart. 

"Thank you Misuzu!" Natsume calls over his shoulder. 

The bull doesn't even dignify this with a response- mostly because of the struggling Shiki in his mouth. 

As long as Madara can get Natsume to safety, that's all that matters.

* * *

Touko is startled from cooking dinner by a loud crash coming from the front door. She wonders if it's Takashi, since he hasn't come home yet, but just in case, she takes up her vegetable knife and slowly steps into the genkan. 

The knife clatters to the floor. 

"Takashi-kun!" 

He is a bloody mess, curled up on the floor and breathing heavily. His eyes are shut and it looks as if he's pouring every scrap of energy into staying awake, and there is  _no excuse_ for this, nothing he could possibly say to keep her from further worry, even as Nyangoro gives off that rumbling purr she's learned to associate with safety and assurance. 

So she calls out to Shigeru and tells him to grab the first aid kit while she calls emergency services, but Nyangoro stops her before she can even grab the phone, paws darting out around her hand from her place on the floor. 

His tiny little mouth opens, and she expects a small meow. 

"Get'im in bed- now. A human doctor won't do much good." 

This is unexpected, but Touko supposes it's not as surprising as it could be; Nyangoro has always been far more clever than a typical cat.

This is why, without questioning, she takes the kit from Shigeru as he rounds the corner and tells him to carry Takashi to his room. 

* * *

Though he's no doctor, Shigeru helps Touko clean Takashi's wounds, and deems it safe for him to stay home. Most of his injuries are minor cuts and bruises, though there are spots where it looks like there should be something- going by his parental instincts, at least. 

But in short order, Takashi is asleep with Nyankichi curled up at his side. 

Shigeru steps out of the room and joins his wife downstairs. She places the phone back in its cradle just as he turns the corner. 

"Ah? Who were you calling, dear?" 

"Well, Nyankichi told me to call Natori-san..." 

Shigeru nods his head, and for a moment, it's silent. 

"Should we ask Takashi-kun about Nyangoro?" He asks, finally. Touko debates the answer to that in her head.

"I don't think we should," she says at length. "Takashi-kun will tell us when he's ready." 

He nods again, agreeing. 

"But in the meantime..?" 

"In the meantime...we wait. We need to show Takashi-kun that he'll be safe here- that he can trust us with his secrets." 

 

 


	2. I'm Here

Natori invites himself into the house only to stop when he sees the blood on the floor of the genkan. Touko-san said Natsume was hurt over the phone, and that the cat told her to call him- and the boy would be grilled all about that later, probably- and he really  _shouldn't_ be surprised to see that he'd been bleeding, but it still gets at him. 

Except Natsume's alive. He's alive, and Natori repeats that in his head as he forces himself to step around the deep crimson puddles. 

Touko-san steps out of the kitchen to greet him and offers a customary cup of tea- or something stronger, if he wants- and he politely declines. 

"I assume Natsume-kun is in his room?" He asks. She nods and looks towards the staircase. 

He nods in return. 

"If you don't mind, I'd like to see him. You might have already figured this out from his cat, but he deals with things most people can't fathom." 

The lizard skitters across from his wrist up to his jaw, and he uses a finger to push his glasses up. 

"For that reason," he begins with a bow, "I'm really glad you called me. In the event something got to him that you can't see, I'll do my best to make sure he's okay." 


	3. Oh, Bother...

Natori kneels down beside Natsume and lightly touches his cheek. He's pale and sweating and there's a tracking mark on his neck and some lingering remnant of a curse. 

"The kid should be fine," Madara says from his perch on the desk. "I got rid of most of the curses, but I can't get rid of the tracker." 

His fur bristles some as he says that, and Natori is slightly amused by that, even as he reaches into his pocket for a summoning charm. 

"Mm. It would be a problem if that was left there," he mutters, fully aware that the cat can hear him.

He sends the charm out, and in a moment Hiiragi is there. 

She sees the tracking sigil and looks to him for direction. He smiles sheepishly.

"Sorry to ask, but will you grab my supplies from my apartment?" 

"Yes," she answers, dipping her head. She gives the unconscious Natsume another cursory glance and takes her leave through the window.

Natori sighs and then returns his attention to Madara. 

"So...what happened this time?" 


	4. Chapter 4

The lucky cat huffs. 

"As if you need to ask. Natsume got involved with a youkai that Matoba just happened to be looking for. I'm sure you can figure the rest out for yourself." 

"Humor me," Natori says with a tense smile. Madara sighs. 

"Fiiiiine." 

He gets up and climbs so he's standing on Takashi's stomach, then curls up there. 

"...It was a powerful youkai, but that's nothing new. It asked Natsume to lead it somewhere and put a tracker on him. Except Matoba was also looking for them- he wanted to exorcise the youkai, and he wanted Natsume to join his clan." Here he growls, still visibly incensed. 

"Kid led it right to them..." 

"And it thought he was in league with Matoba?" Natori asks, already knowing the answer. 

Madara nods. 

"So he was attacked by the youkai  _as well as_ Matoba's Shiki..." 

Perhaps the fat cat would've responded had Hiiragi not chosen that moment to return, Natori's duffle bag in tow. 

The blond man takes it from her with a nod of acknowledgement and sets it on the floor. 

"Nyanko, would you mind helping me with this?" 

 


	5. It Doesn't Matter

Takashi wakes up with a cold compress on his forehead and Nyanko-sensei's familiar weight on his chest. The cat's cheeks aren't flushed at all, and if he really concentrates, he can sense the chuukyuu outside his window. 

A sense of gratitude worms its way up into his heart, but he doesn't act upon it. Nyanko-sensei is sleeping peacefully and he doesn't really want to wake him yet. 

His bedroom door slides open and he hears light footsteps against the floor. Touko-san is awake, and Takashi feels guilty for being the cause of this (because he knows how she worries about him, and he remembers the awful sensation of Matoba's Shiki grappling at his limbs). 

So Takashi finally allows himself to open his eyes, just in time to meet his foster mother's concerned face. 

She smiles, softly but still visibly relieved. 

"Welcome home, Takashi," she says, and he expects her to ask why he was home so late, or why he was so badly injured- because he knows that he was, and there is no way she hasn't seen- and he's already thinking of a good excuse. 

"I'll have to thank Nyankichi for bringing you home," she says instead, "and for telling me how to help you." 

_She knows._

Takashi's first instinct is to panic- she knows Nyanko-sensei can talk, she probably knows he can see weird things, she must be angry at him for lying, for getting hurt, for troubling her, for not telling her anything-

But there's no accusation in her voice, and her eyes are still twinkling with warmth and affection. 

She removes the compress from his forehead. 

"He always was such a smart cat, so I suppose this isn't a big surprise." She chuckles softly and reaches down to adjust the blankets.

"....you're not...mad?" 

His voice is small and afraid, even to his own ears, as if this is some kind of trick. 

"Of course not," she answers quickly.

"Takashi-kun, it doesn't matter when you decide to tell us the truth, and it doesn't even matter what that truth is. No matter what, we'll always want you here, because you deserve everything we have to offer." 

She rubs at her eyes and now Takashi feels bad for making her cry, but she stands back up before he can say anything else. 

"You can go at your own pace, and tell us when you're ready." 

She sniffles and quickly leaves the room, quietly sliding the door shut behind her. 


End file.
